@ Flat Earth Trucker I'm with you on the monarchy, from my very earliest days I recognised what a ridiculous institution it was. Granted it has no real power but if that is the case what is the point of it? But then alot of foreigners do not agree with us and they do come in their thousands with their dollars and yens, but mainly only to London. Glad to hear you got a bit further than that. I have only been twice in the States. The first time was as a member of the crew of the Queen Mary in 1965 I think it was. Didn't like the ship, too old and cramped, the crew's quarters had hardly changed since Drake's time it seemed, But I did like New York and did all the touristy things like Times Square and the Empire State and in the evening was invited to a party with some young Americans we met there. The 2nd time was when I was flying back from Australia in about 1970 and we had stopovers in both Honolulu and San Francisco. Impressions? Amazed to see a front page newspaper picture of a murdered person in the street in H, not something they would show us in Britain. Then to SF and all I remember is being taken on a tour over the Golden Gate and back again. Aldeburgh, not been there but isn't it the place where Benjamin Britten lived, the composer, are you an opera fan then? Stonehenge I haven't seen either but Southampton is a place where I lived for a year or so in 1949, my late Dad's hometown and of course the place where I set out from on my Queen Mary voyage. I was staying at my Aunt's house there and working aboard some Union Castle ships while awaiting a berth to go to South Africa. But it never happened and I was called in to join the Mary urgently.as she was ready to sail. Spuds are best eaten roasted to my taste, and then only in goose grease. I do roast them here but in an air fryer brushed with olive oil, good but not as good. The buses you saw in London are called Routemasters and were made specially for the city by a truck maker called AEC, now long gone, just to the west of the city. It's a pity you missed the Tube though, I used it alot when I lived there at Merchant Navy college back in the early '60s, exciting to a young lad then but I wouldn't swap peaceful rural France for any big city now. IRA bombs are a distant and unpleasant memory now. I must say that I didn't expect it to last, peace I mean, because the whole reason for their existance was a United Ireland, nearer now than it used to be but also something I have believed in all my life, how could I not, when I have always heartily disapproved of colonies and empires? I was never affected by bombs but I had some close calls in Northern Ireland with my truck. However it was the British soldiers who suddenly appeared from the hedges on a rural road that alarmed me. They were suspicious of my twin firestick cb antennae and they were most threatening with their blacked up faces and guns pointed right at me. When I realised who they were I relaxed a bit and thought my English accent would diffuse the situation. Not a bit of it, their attitude never changed 'where are you going, where have you come from, why are you here, have you a radio?' They let me go after 10 minutes but as I drove away their guns were never pointed at anything but me. Longest haul? Not much by American standards, a regular run from Dover to Savona and other places in Italy with containers destined for Colonel Gaddaffi. Then back through Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. About 2,000 miles on the round trip I suppose. In Australia with a road train my regular run was from Katherine, in the Northern Territory, Wyndham in Western Australia to load cows and back again. 800 miles I reckon for that. But the longest journey I drove was not with a wagon but with an elderly coach filled with youngsters like me of all nationalities from London to Lahore, which was then the capital of Pakistan. That single journey was 5,200 miles and I bailed when I got there to continue via Delhi and Hong Kong to Darwin NT by rail and air. Never did hear if the other 2 drivers got back ok but I suspect they sold the bus and flew back home. I did meet up with some of the passengers much later in Sydney, including a Canadian couple who were heavily expecting and made it to Oz in time for the sprog to be born an Aussie. Sorry, long post, but you did ask. Your only excuse for inflicting all that on everyone is that you don't know me, my friends would have known better.
I'm glad you told me that because my son lived and worked there for 7 years I think. He had a Chinese motorbike which he said was a Cafe Racer and I asked him that same question and he seemed unsure, as if it was something you chose to do each morning when you left home.
Got an answer to your question a few moments ago, but I have a feeling that, since Brexit UK laws my be different to continental ones. I'll explain after you've see what my knowledgable mate said. ; Normally 13hr day and 11 hrs off. But a 15hr day and 9 off 3 times a week. Max 9hrs daily driving but 10hrs twice a week. Break of 45 min after 4hr30 drive. 60 hrs off at weekends. WRONG !! See next post Max 90hrs drive over 2 weeks. The reason I question it is because when I was driving for a local firm here I am certain that we only operated on a 45 hour weekend break, not a 60. Otherwise on the days when I got back on Friday evening, 60 hours would not have allowed me to set off again at 10pm on Sunday, which sometimes did happen. 60 would have been better because normal days and nights at the weekend were severely disrupted by a 10pm Sunday start, just when normally you would be ready for bed. What I did was to drive for 90 minutes and then go to bed for 45, giving me the only break I needed between home and Paris and good enough sleep to stay awake to do it.
